Necklace clasp



Nov. 19, 1940. v E, S AN 2,222,410

NECKLACE CLASP Filed July 25, 1959 mv TOR.

Patented Nov. 19, 1940 PATENT OFFICE NECKLACE CLASP Edward C. Grassmann,Maplewood, N. J assignor to Harry G. Schick, Inc., Newark, N. J acorporation of New Jersey Application July 25, 1939, Serial No. 286,314

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in clasps; and the invention hasreference, more particularly, to necklace clasps of the general typedisclosed in prior United States Patent No. 1,- 813,963, dated July 14,1931, and which are adapted to be used interchangeably for eithersingle, double or multiple strand necklaces or the like.

This invention has for an object to provide a novel necklace clasp whichis adapted to receive either one or a plurality of necklace strands,

and to this end comprises a body having a plurality of catch receivingopenings for the reception of spring catches with which the ends of thenecklace strands are equipped, and wherein, when used with a pluralityof strands, said catches may electively be engaged in selected openingsto dispose the several strands in any desired grouped arrangement; novelmeans being provided in association with the several catches at one sideat least of the clasp body whereby a single manipulative operation willsimultaneously engage or re-' lease, as the case may be, all catches atsuch side when it is desired to don the necklace or remove the same fromthe person of the wearer.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularlyenumerated, will be understood from the following detailed descriptionof the same.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a face plan view showing the novel necklace strands; Fig. 2 isa similar face plan view on an enlarged scale, showing the necklacestrand terminal catches at one side of the clasp body as simultaneouslyreleased from the body; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the claspwith the snap catches operatively entered and locked thereto; Fig. 4 isa similar view, but taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a sideelevation viewed toward the left in Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a longitudinalsectional view taken on line 66 in Fig. 3.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above describedviews, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawing, the reference character I indicates the hollowbox-like body of the clasp, to the top of which any suitableornamentation may be applied, either in the form of engraving (asshown), or by pierced designs, jewel settings or the like (not shown) aswell known in the art. Said body I is shown as of rectangular shape,although it will be obvious that the same may be formed of any othersuitable shape desired, as e. g. of oval shape.

The respective side walls of the body I are provided with a plurality ofspaced apertures 2 which are suitably shaped to receive inserted springcatch members 3. Said apertures and catch members are provided withcooperative means for releasably interlocking the catch member to thebody. If desired, the end walls of the body I may be likewise providedwith similar single catch receiving apertures 4 adapted for use when theclasp body is utilized to connect the ends of a single necklace strand.

Each catch member 3 is formed with a divergent resilient catch tongue 5doubled back over the same from its inner end. Formed in said catchtongue I5, adjacent to its free end, is a lock perforation 6 of suitableshape. The upper margin of each catch receiving aperture 2 or 4 isprovided with a lock projection I. When a catch member 3 is insertedthrough a catch receiving aperture 2 or 4, the resilient catch tongue 5is yieldably depressed as it passes beneath the lock projection I ofsaid aperture, until its lock perforation 6 registers with saidprojection l, whereupon the catch tongue 5 springs upward so as to causesaid lock projection to enter said lock perforation, thus interlockingthe catch member with the clasp body I. The free end of the catch tongue5 of each catch member is provided with an outwardly extending andpreferably somewhat upwardly inclined finger piece 8 of reduced width,which may be utilized to manually depress the catch tongue 5 whendesired in engaging or disengaging the catch member directly with orfrom the clasp body, or when assembling a plurality of desired catchmembers with a common release bar about to be described. 1 Extendingfrom the outer end of each latch member is an eye member 9 to which anend of a necklace strand may be suitably coupled.

When the novel clasp is utilized in connection with a plurality ofnecklace strands, as e. g. the respective strands I0, II, and I2 shownin Figs. 1 and 2, corresponding ends of said strands are attached to oneside of the clasp body I by inserting the catch members 3 serving suchends through the apertures 2 on one side of the body until said catchmembers are interlocked with the clasp body in the manner aboveindicated. The catch members 3 serving the opposite ends of therespective strands I0, II and I2 are, prior to engagement with theopposite side of said clasp body I, operatively assembled with a releasebar I3 by means 'of which the same may be simultaneously actuated. Thisrelease bar is provided with catch receiving apertures I4 correspondingin spacing to the spacing of the catch therethrough, whereupon by theirresilient eX- pansion, said catch tongues 5 spring upward, therebycarrying their relatively narrow finger pieces 8 upwardly into thereceiving notches l5, and thus, at the same time disposing the shouldersll of their extremities behind the rear surface of the release bar,thereby retaining the catch members 3 in normal expandedconditionagainst accidental displacement from operative assembled relation to therelease bar (see Fig. 5

more particularly).' When the catch members 3 are thus disposed inassembled relation to the release bar i3, the lock perforations 6 oftheir catch tongues are exposed slightly beyond the rearward face ofsaid release bar. It will be obvious that the release bar serves to holdthe catchmembers assembled therewith spaced apart in correspondence tothe spacing of the catch receiving apertures 2 of'a side wall of theclasp body I, and in such manner that the thus assembled catch membersmay be simultaneously inserted through said receiving apertures untilthe lock perforations ii of their catch tongues 5 interengage with thelock projections I, thus joining the necklace strand ends served therebyto the clasp body. The release bar I3 is provided intermediate its endswith a finger piece I8 which inclines upwardly and outwardly from itsupper margin, and by which said release bar may be manipulated tosimultaneously depress the catch tongues 5 to release the same from theclasp body, sothat the ends of the necklace strands may be separated forremoval of the necklace from the wearers person. To manipulate therelease bar to accomplish such purpose, the wearer merely engages withthe thumb the finger piece l8, and by pressing downwardly thereupon,rocks the release bar from a normal perpendicular plane (as shown inFig. 3) to an oblique plane (as shown in Fig. 4), whereby the lowermargins of the apertures I 4 tend to press upwardly on the under sidesof the catch members 3, and the top margins of. the notches l5 pressdownwardly on the catch-tongue finger pieces 8, thus depressing saidcatch tongues against their inherent tension sothat the lockperforations 6 are withdrawn from the lock projections I, whereupon thecatch members may be withdrawn from the clasp body I, so that thecorresponding ends of all necklace strands are simultaneouslydisconnected from the. clasp body by a single manipulative operation.

It will be understood that all the advantages of necklace strandinterchangeability as particularly referred to in said prior UnitedStates Patent 1,813,963 is attainable in connection with "the abovedescribed clasp structure, with the additionaladvantage of meansoperative to permit simultaneous manipulation of all catch membersserving the several necklace strands at one side of the clasp body, whenputting on and off the necklace.

I am aware that some changes could be made in-the; clasp structure abovedescribed, and'that apparently widely di'iferent embodiments of thisinvention could be made without departing from the scope thereof; it istherefore intended that 1. A necklace clasp comprising, a hollow claspbody having a row of catch receiving openings in a side wall thereof, aplurality of clasp body engaging catch members insertable in saidopenings, each catch member comprising a base having a depressiblerearwa'rdly extending resilient catch tongue normally divergent thereto,an apertured common release bar through which said catch membersproject, lower aperture margins of said release bar serving to fulcrumthe latter on the catch member bases, and free end portions of saidcatch tongues being adapted to engage upper aperture margins of saidrelease bar to normally yieldably hold the latter substantiallyperpendicular to said catch member bases when the catch members areoperatively engaged with said clasp body, but subject to outward tiltingmanipulation adapted to simultaneously depress said catch tongues torelease said catch members for simultaneous withdrawal thereof fromengagement with. said clasp body.

2. A necklace clasp comprising, a hollow clasp body having a row ofcatch receiving openings in a side wall thereof, a plurality of catchmembers insertable in said openings, each catch member comprising a basehaving a depressible rearwardly extending catch tongue normallydivergentthereto, said catch tongues and clasp body having cooperativeinterlocking means for detachably securing the inserted catch members tosaid clasp body, and a tiltable common release bar having aperturesthrough which said catch members respectively extend, the lower marginsof said apertures serving to fulcrum said release bar on outwardportions of said catch member bases'while portions of the catch tonguesoutwardly of said interlocking means thrustingly engage the uppermargins of said apertures to yieldably hold said release barsubstantially perpendicular to said catch member bases when the catchmembers are interlocked with said clasp body, but subject to outwardtilting manipulation adapted to simultaneously depress and release saidcatch tongues to disengage said catch members for simultaneouswithdrawal from said clasp body..

3. A necklace clasp for interchangeably connecting necklacestrandscomprising, a hollow body provided with a plurality of spacedcatch receiving openings in opposite walls thereof, each opening of onewall being disposed in opposition to a corresponding opening in theopposite wall, catch members for attachment to the ends of necklacestrands, said catch members each including a .base and a rearwardlyextending re-,

siliently depressible catch tongue normally divergent thereto, saidcatch tongues and clasp body having cooperative means for interlockingthe same together, and a release bar common to.

the several catch members engageable with one wall'of said clasp body,said release bar haying apertures correspondingly spaced relative to the.catch member receiving openings of said latter while portions of thecatch tongues outwardly of their interlocking means thrustingly engagethe upper margins of said apertures to yieldably hold said release barsubstantially perpendicular to said catch member bases when the catchmembers are interlocked with said clasp body, but subject to outwardtilting manipulation adapted to simultaneously depress and release saidcatch tongues to disengage said catch members for simultaneouswithdrawal from said clasp body.

4. In a necklace clasp as defined in claim2, wherein the catch tonguesof the release bar engaged catch members have finger pieces of reducedwidth extending from their free ends, and wherein the upper margins ofsaid release bar apertures have notches to embrace said finger pieces.

5. In a necklace clasp as defined in claim 3, wherein the catch tonguesof the release bar engaged catch members have finger pieces of reducedwidth extending from their free ends, and wherein the upper margins ofsaid release bar apertures have notches to embrace said finger pieces.

6. In a necklace clasp as defined in claim 2, wherein said release baris provided with a finger piece projecting from a longitudinal marginthereof.

7. In a necklace clasp as defined in claim 3, wherein said release baris provided with a finger piece projecting from the upper longitudinalmargin thereof at a point intermediate its ends.

EDWARD C. GRASSMANN.

